ADVICE BUYING HORSE

2012paddy2012

hi I have tried EVERY horse sanctuary in the country to try re home a horse.
offering safe /secure/happy environment - NO LUCK - amazingly.

I am thinking of buying one for son 13. I need 14/2 hands or higher. This horse is known by the livery yard owner and has never been sick ..He is 14 years old. A girl that has him presently minds him well , but wants another as this horse is too small - only reason for sale we are told (and believe!)

Its a cob/Connemara I understand. She is looking for 1500 euro for him.

I want to know what - basic precautions I should take to be sure that he is healthy and has none or indeed is unlikely hopefully to develop any illness.

My son will be using him for jumps and general use within the livery yard and local competitions between yards . locally. My problem is that I have sufficient budget to buy/ pay for on-going maintenance /shoeing etc. Weekly livery , big bills for illness /vets etc. , would be problematic , if very expensive.

Many thanks

Paddy

ElmW13

Ask to see if you can trial the horse for a week or two for your son to get to know the horse properly before you buy it

2012paddy2012

ElmW13 wrote: »

Ask to see if you can trial the horse for a week or two for your son to get to know the horse properly before you buy it

Thank you. Yes , He will have it for the week , next week , for the camp.
He doesn't know that we are thinking of getting him this particular horse so we will see what he says and thinks ..every horse he gets for a little while is "the best"!!! .....I wonder is it reasonable to insist that the seller gets a vet to check it ....and if that was ok , I think that's about the best I can do.

for example , if I was to buy a car I would insist on the NCT being up to date!!

thks for your reply

Paddy

Bluefoam

I think its unlikely the current owner would want to fork out for a vet. To be on the safe side, you should do that... It will help guarantee an impartial check-up, and give you some piece of mind. 14 is no spring chicken either...

2012paddy2012

Bluefoam wrote: »

I think its unlikely the current owner would want to fork out for a vet. To be on the safe side, you should do that... It will help guarantee an impartial check-up, and give you some piece of mind. 14 is no spring chicken either...

I agree. was a bit concerned about that..im told he could have another 10 years of reasonable "work" left which is grand ..thks

monflat

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

I agree. was a bit concerned about that..im told he could have another 10 years of reasonable "work" left which is grand ..thks

Depends on the horse shes lookin for1500 but is the pony worth it.
Offer less if you really like and get on with pony and great if she takes it.

Ok the pony may have another 10 yrs but if your son keeps up horse riding hemay move onto a 15-2 or bigger the pony maybe 17 whrn u want to move up.
Consider that too ifyou need to sell.

Its your responsibility to get the horse vetted ifits a private sale.
Unless seller is taking pony to goresbridge / cavan sales its up to them to get horse vetted.


However youdont want to purchase the wrong type and by you being in a hurry you could settle for anything.

Id go view some more and see whats on offer
However if you do want that pony get it ridden on its own out on roads in fields
See it being tacked up mounted and ridden away from other horses.
If the horse shows any signs of trying to go back to the other horses or being really bothered by being on his own WALK AWAY
Napping is a terrible behaviour to deal with and you dont want your son injured.

Dont rush into anything!

2012paddy2012

monflat wrote: »

Depends on the horse shes lookin for1500 but is the pony worth it.
Offer less if you really like and get on with pony and great if she takes it.

Ok the pony may have another 10 yrs but if your son keeps up horse riding hemay move onto a 15-2 or bigger the pony maybe 17 whrn u want to move up.
Consider that too ifyou need to sell.

Its your responsibility to get the horse vetted ifits a private sale.
Unless seller is taking pony to goresbridge / cavan sales its up to them to get horse vetted.


However youdont want to purchase the wrong type and by you being in a hurry you could settle for anything.

Id go view some more and see whats on offer
However if you do want that pony get it ridden on its own out on roads in fields
See it being tacked up mounted and ridden away from other horses.
If the horse shows any signs of trying to go back to the other horses or being really bothered by being on his own WALK AWAY
Napping is a terrible behaviour to deal with and you dont want your son injured.

Dont rush into anything!

great advice thks

Ave Sodalis

I would find someone you trust to give you a hand. That could be your sons instructor or any other equine person who's experienced with horses. I could give you a list of things to look out for but if you're inexperienced, you will probably not notice or be able to tell when it's over the internet.
I would also go for a vetting. It's worth it. The pony is 14 though, so you wouldn't expect it to be 100% but it's just to be sure that any problems it may have aren't going to be too big an issue.

isaos

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

hi I have tried EVERY horse sanctuary in the country to try re home a horse.
offering safe /secure/happy environment - NO LUCK - amazingly.

I am thinking of buying one for son 13. I need 14/2 hands or higher. This horse is known by the livery yard owner and has never been sick ..He is 14 years old. A girl that has him presently minds him well , but wants another as this horse is too small - only reason for sale we are told (and believe!)

Its a cob/Connemara I understand. She is looking for 1500 euro for him.

I want to know what - basic precautions I should take to be sure that he is healthy and has none or indeed is unlikely hopefully to develop any illness.

My son will be using him for jumps and general use within the livery yard and local competitions between yards . locally. My problem is that I have sufficient budget to buy/ pay for on-going maintenance /shoeing etc. Weekly livery , big bills for illness /vets etc. , would be problematic , if very expensive.

Many thanks

Paddy

Hi Paddy.

First thing, did you try Animal Heaven Animal Rescue, FB page is https://www.facebook.com/ahar.ie?fref=ts - they seem to be looking all the time for would be re homers.

Second thing, the price quoted to you seems expensive these days. For this price you should have a fully registered pony (is it?) with a good background and competition abilities. Then, 14.2 h won't last long if your son is 13, you should probably go taller, more on the 14.8 if he is to enjoy riding him a few years. (bigger doesn't mean less safe, by the way.)

Cost of horses is no small matter, as you know yourself. Farrier every 6/7 weeks, and everything else. The fact that a horse has never been sick before is no guarantee, unfortunately.
Back to rescues, they are probably cheap to get, but might cost you a lot in vet bills as you don't always know what they have been missing initially.


Good luck to you and your son.

lyoness

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

hi I have tried EVERY horse sanctuary in the country to try re home a horse.
offering safe /secure/happy environment - NO LUCK - amazingly.

I am thinking of buying one for son 13. I need 14/2 hands or higher. This horse is known by the livery yard owner and has never been sick ..He is 14 years old. A girl that has him presently minds him well , but wants another as this horse is too small - only reason for sale we are told (and believe!)

Its a cob/Connemara I understand. She is looking for 1500 euro for him.

I want to know what - basic precautions I should take to be sure that he is healthy and has none or indeed is unlikely hopefully to develop any illness.

My son will be using him for jumps and general use within the livery yard and local competitions between yards . locally. My problem is that I have sufficient budget to buy/ pay for on-going maintenance /shoeing etc. Weekly livery , big bills for illness /vets etc. , would be problematic , if very expensive.

Many thanks

Paddy

why don't you insure for vets bills etc - you would be covered then. IMO you should have a budget for vets bills, previous health is no guarantee of future health. I would get a 5 stage vetting before buying.
Also have you factored in expense for:
Tack, rugs etc. It all adds up. Also transport to shows, horsebox, jeep/car and diesel for travelling to/from shows. Lessons, clinics etc.

2012paddy2012

lyoness wrote: »

why don't you insure for vets bills etc - you would be covered then. IMO you should have a budget for vets bills, previous health is no guarantee of future health. I would get a 5 stage vetting before buying.
Also have you factored in expense for:
Tack, rugs etc. It all adds up. Also transport to shows, horsebox, jeep/car and diesel for travelling to/from shows. Lessons, clinics etc.

Yes I have thks- 1500 euro I understand the girl paid for it- she is looking for the same now in order to buy a more suitable horse- do horses appreciate or depreciate in value as they get older?!
I am only thinking like if it was a car it would depreciate! ! Appreciate advice -


Saddle- is it unwise to buy a second hand saddle - im told it is better to have a proper fit and buy new ---- 800 ish im told lol expensive already and haven't bought yet! !

lyoness

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Yes I have thks- 1500 euro I understand the girl paid for it- she is looking for the same now in order to buy a more suitable horse- do horses appreciate or depreciate in value as they get older?!
I am only thinking like if it was a car it would depreciate! ! Appreciate advice -

It dosen't really work like that IMO €1500 is on the cheap end of the scale for a horse/pony, especially as I am assuming your son needs a schoolmaster type who he can learn on, rather than the other way round. A safe schoolmaster that you are happy that your son is safe on is worth its weight in gold. I wouldn't be looking to save money on the horse itself - you can always save money elsewhere I would be looking for the safest most suitable horse.

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Saddle- is it unwise to buy a second hand saddle - im told it is better to have a proper fit and buy new ---- 800 ish im told lol expensive already and haven't bought yet! !

As I mentioned above there are other ways to save - you don't need a new saddle but make sure the saddle is fitted correctly, use a qualified saddle fitter if possible. I wouldn't just buy a 2nd hand one from done deal and hope it fits the horse. A badly fitted saddle can cause the horse pain and that in turn can lead to behavioral problems.

Also factor in:
dentist - could be twice a year
chiro/physio - at least once a year

2012paddy2012

lyoness wrote: »

why don't you insure for vets bills etc - you would be covered then. IMO you should have a budget for vets bills, previous health is no guarantee of future health. I would get a 5 stage vetting before buying.
Also have you factored in expense for:
Tack, rugs etc. It all adds up. Also transport to shows, horsebox, jeep/car and diesel for travelling to/from shows. Lessons, clinics etc.

Thks I wonder would you recommend any particular insurance . Have bhs seems basic though /want public liability ideally with injury for son/horse if such is available appreciate advice

marley123

BHS covers public liability, if you are looking for something more comprehensive try Allianz ( NOT cheap just to warn you )

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Thks I wonder would you recommend any particular insurance . Have bhs seems basic though /want public liability ideally with injury for son/horse if such is available appreciate advice

lyoness

2012paddy2012 wrote: »

Thks I wonder would you recommend any particular insurance . Have bhs seems basic though /want public liability ideally with injury for son/horse if such is available appreciate advice

I insure with Allianz myself, horse, rider and my tack and horsebox. I unfortunately had a couple of claims and no problem paying out so I would recommend.

TheFarrier

Plenty people here will disagree with me I'm sure, but please be sure to get any horse you intend to buy checked by a a farrier and a vet.
I'm sure everyone will agree to a vet check, but having a farrier check a horse is vital. You would not believe the amount of so called horse-people, ( high end international show jumpers) buy so called sound horses without checking their feet. It may sound odd, but a horse is like a house, without the proper foundations, it won't do it's job.
Only recently a client of mine bought a horse from a well known figure in international equestrian circles, but only when I arrived to shoe it did we discover the horse had a chronic condition in both front feet, which while not excluding the horse from competition, will entail thousands of euro in farrier fees over the course of its career.
Please ask your farrier to cast his eye over any horse you may have on trial, as it may save you hundreds in farriers bills if he advises you against buying a particular animal.


On a different note, once you have your heart set on a particular horse, having ridden and trialled the horse, the most important thing for your vet to check is the horses eyes and heart. If your horse has trialled successfully, then soundness is not a concern, but eyes and heart are a must-check, as it is these that will determine the longevity of the horses career and his saleability once the rider has outgrown it.


Best of luck with your search, and I apologise for the exceptionally long-winded post!!


TheFarrier

TheFarrier

isaos wrote: »

Hi Paddy.

First thing, did you try Animal Heaven Animal Rescue, FB page is https://www.facebook.com/ahar.ie?fref=ts - they seem to be looking all the time for would be re homers.

Second thing, the price quoted to you seems expensive these days. For this price you should have a fully registered pony (is it?) with a good background and competition abilities. Then, 14.2 h won't last long if your son is 13, you should probably go taller, more on the 14.8 if he is to enjoy riding him a few years. (bigger doesn't mean less safe, by the way.)

Cost of horses is no small matter, as you know yourself. Farrier every 6/7 weeks, and everything else. The fact that a horse has never been sick before is no guarantee, unfortunately.
Back to rescues, they are probably cheap to get, but might cost you a lot in vet bills as you don't always know what they have been missing initially.


Good luck to you and your son.

One point, the recommended shoeing interval is 4-6 weeks, but realistically, from a foot balance perspective, 4 weeks is all a set of shoes is worth to a horse. His shoes may not be worn, or his toes may not appear too long, but the trim that a competent farrier puts so much effort into ( the trim is the most important part of a shoeing job from a performance point of view) has become obsolete after 4/5 weeks. 6 weeks is the maximum shoeing interval I would allow a performance sport horse.

2012paddy2012

ya got a quote they are very expensive ok

2012paddy2012

TheFarrier wrote: »

One point, the recommended shoeing interval is 4-6 weeks, but realistically, from a foot balance perspective, 4 weeks is all a set of shoes is worth to a horse. His shoes may not be worn, or his toes may not appear too long, but the trim that a competent farrier puts so much effort into ( the trim is the most important part of a shoeing job from a performance point of view) has become obsolete after 4/5 weeks. 6 weeks is the maximum shoeing interval I would allow a performance sport horse.

ok thks was talking to current owner , she gets them changed every 6/7 weeks ... 60 quid!! thks lol

2012paddy2012

thks for interesting post. Allianz require a "Grade 2 report" to insure. means nothing to me , but I suspect that it must be sufficient for insurance to insure the horse. I know he has current passport (which they also require) and is up to date ... I had spoken to a local vet who said he will vet the horse for 80-100 euro , at that point I wasn't sure , about insurance , I don't know if that (*grade2) vetting in mind when I spoke to him ...it will require that to be sufficient for Allianz , I deffo will mention eyes/heart /feet to him.... thks......

Even on that basis Horse will be covered for vet fees up to 20.000k , should we be unlucky enough to fing horse needs vet thks